Adjusting and locking device



June 1 1926. 1,586,536

11 J. P VVEF2 ADJUSTING AND LOCKING DEVICE Filed Nov. 14, 1924 I as a/ Ha a0 I TOR. [$2M A TTORNEY.S'

Patented June 1, 1926 UNITED STATES THOMAS J. POWER, OF M LwAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ADJUSTING AND LOCKING nEvicE;

V Applicationifiled November 14, 1924' Serial No. 749,957.

This invention relates to improvements in manually operable adjusting and locking vdevices. More particularly stated, this inven-' tion relates to means for the release and engagement of a manually operable'worm with a gear such as is used to drive a drum n a dry tumbler or the like,vwhereby to ad ust or look such a drum. v

It is the'primaryobject of this invention to provide a novel and improved mounting f with an adjusting and, locking device em-I bodying this invention. v

Figure 2 is a plan view of the adjusting and locking device shown Figure 1. j

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the device shownin Figure 2. i

Like parts are identified by likereference characters throughout the several views.

i It will be understood that the tumbler mechanism is illustrated for the primary purpose of exemplifying one construction in which my invention will be found useful. In a dry tumbler the frame 10 carries a housing 11 having a door 12 through which the tumbler drum 14 is'accessible. The tumbler drum is provided with one or more doors like that indicated at 15 which may be brought into registry with the opening normallyclosed by door 12 of the housing, and may thereupon be opened to permit the 1ntroduction or removal of clothing from the drum. v 4

It will be understood that the drum s mounted for rotation within the said housing and is connected with a gear 16 mounted externally of the housing. This gear is driven throughany suitable mechanism for the rotation of the drum. Such mechanism is not material to this invention, and consequently is not illustrated herein.

hen the mechanism driving the cylinder, 15 through gear ,16 is brought to rest, and

may not be in registry withthe opening of the door 12 is opened, the door 15'may or' door 12. It is necessary to have these doors 2 i in registry, if the door 15 is to be opened. Consequently, manually operable means is provided for the rotative adjustment of the drum. Such means comprises the principal subject matter of *this invention, and will now be described.

The sleeve 20 is mounted for oscillation upon the axis of a stud 21, which supports it i from the housing 11 of the machine. J ournaled in said sleeve, and confined against axial movement with respect thereto by means of collars 22 and 23, is a shaft 24, carrying a worm 25.- The worm is adjustable to and'from positions of operative mesh with reference to gear 16 by the oscillation of sleeve 20 on the axis ofstud 21. The two extreme positions of the worm 25 and shaft 24 are illustrated in full and dotted lines respectively in Figure 3. Shaft 24 carries a hand wheel 26 by means of which it may be rotated manually to adjust the gear 16 when in mesh therewith. may be brought to a proper position in its housing for the registry of door 15 with door 12. j

Itwill also be obvious that as long as the worm 25 maintains its engagement with worm gear16, the irreversible characteristic of the worm will sooperate as to lock the worm gear against rotation other than such rotation as may be brought about by the manual operation of the hand wheel 26. This is very important inasmuch as great injury to the operator might result if the tumbler drum 14 were so mounted that it could change its position while the operator was engaged in introducing or removing clothing therefrom.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that it is desirable to maintain the worm 25 positively in each of its two positionsfllf the worm could yield from its position of mesh with gear 16, then it could not serve as a positive look for such gear to maintain drum 14 against rotation. Likewise, if the worm could yield from its elevated position, out of mesh with said gear, it might accidentally drop into mesh with the gear while the gear was in motion and cause serious damage to the driving mechanism.

Thereby the drum 14' For the purpose of ensuring the accurate and positive adjustment or oscillationof.

shaft 24 and worm 25, I provide a cam device including members 28, slotted at 29, in a direction aiigularly inclined with reference to theaxis of shaft 24. The members 28 are integrally connected to comprise a single fitting by means of the spanning elements 30, which are suitably apertured for sliding bearing upon shaft 2% and are extended at 31. and 32 .in the form of laterally projecting arms. A shaft which appears in dotted lines in Figure 2 is mounted in these arms and supports a sleeve from which a handle 35 projects. The sleeve mounting for handle???) permits the handle to be oscillatedindependently in a plane normal to shaft 2% while transmitting to the members 98 the axial movement of the handle.

A stud 3"? projecting fromthe frame of the machine is received within theinclined slots 29 of members and supports at its outer end a latch plate 39 provided at lO and 41 with notches into which the shank portion 42 of handle 35' is receivable.

It will be obvious that when the handle is oscillated to horizontal position to be received into either of the notches, as indicated inl ig'ure 3, the result will be to secure the entire fitting, including members 28, against axial movement. The position of oscillatory adj nstment of shaft 24 will there by be lined against the possibility of axial displacement and will be determined by the portion of the slot 29 in which stud 37 is disposed. If, for example, the handle 35 is engaged in notch 40 as shown in Figure 3 the stud 3'? will be positioned in a portion of slot which is relatively remote from shaft 24. Thereby the adjacent portions of the shaft will be elevated a comparatively great distance above stud 37 to bring the worm into operative mesh with worm wheel 16. This is theposition into which the parts must be adjusted to permit of the manual operation of the tumbler to a position in which the door 15 may be opened. Further more, when the parts are in a position for manual operation as aforesaid the worm and worm gear will be locked in mesh, and the irreversible characteristics of the worm will make it impossible for the machine to start.

In order to permit the starting of the machine it is necessary to lift handle from its position in notch 40 oscillating it about shaft 33 in a counter-cloclzwise direction as viewed in Figure 1. lVhen it clears the notch it may then be used to adjust the entire fittingincluding slottedmembers 28 to the dotted line position of the fitting. During such movement the inclined surfaces of slotted member 28 will act upon stud 37 to draw shaft 2% toward its dotted line positionas indicated in Figure 3. Shaft 24, in oscillating about the center of stud 21, will lift the worm out of mesh with worm wheel 18. Shaft and worm 25 will be retained in this position of oscillatory adjustment by the ei'igag'einent of the shank portion 42 ofhandle 35 with notch 41 into which the handle will fall when released by the operator.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided means for engaging and disengaging the manually operable worin 525 with worm wheel 16, such means being lockable in either of its two extreme positions to secure the parts in adjustment. It will be obvious, furthermore, that in locking the adjusting device to maintain the worm in mesh with the worm wheel, 1 effect also the locking of the worm wheel itself whereby the operator of the machine is safe guarded in opening door 15.

I claim:

1 In a device of the character described, the combination with a worm gear, of a shaft oscillatorily adjustable on an axis substantially parallel to thatof said gear, a worm connected with said shaft and adapted in one position of oscillatory adjustment thereof to mesh with said gear, a fitting axially slidable with reference to said shaft and operatively connected therewith to transmit oscillatory adjustment. thereto,- and a relatively fixed member adapted for interaction with said fitting, said member and said fitting being provided with co-acting surfaces,- one of which is inclined with reference to the axis of said shaft, whereby the axial adjustment of said fitting will be productive of shaft oscillation.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with pair of gears adapted for operative mesh, of a shaft carrying one of said gears and oscillatory for the adjustment o fsaid gear to and from a position for said mesh, a; fitting axially slidable with reference to said shaft and including an inclined surface, and a fixed member, said fitting being adapted to co-operate with said fixed member, whereby said surface will cause oscillation of said shaft,

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a pair of gears adapt-- ed for operative mesh,- of a shaft supporting one of said gears and oscillatorily adjustable to move said gear to from its position of mesh with the other gear, a handle operatively connected with said shaft for the oscillatoryadjustment thereof,- and a r'elatively fixed part with which said handle is interlockingly engageable in a selected position of said shaftwherein said gears are in mesh;

4. In adevice of the character described, the combination with a shaft supported for rotative and for oscillatory adjustment about a transverse axis, of a gear, a second gear carried by said shaft and adapted in one position of oscillatory adjustment of said shaft to mesh with said first mentioned gear, a fitting connected with said shaft and provided with an inclined plane, and a second fitting adapted for interaction with said gear, a fitting connected with said shaft andprovided with an inclined plane, and a second fitting adapted for interaction with said plane, whereby to produce oscillation of said shaft about its transverse axis, one of said fittings being movable with respect to the other and being provided with a handle en- 'gageable with the other of said fittings to secure the movable fitting in adjustment,

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a shaft and a worm carried thereby, of a bearing for said shaft oscillatory upon a transverse axis, a fitting slidably connected with and axially adjustable relative to said shaft and provided with a cam groove inclined with reference to said shaft, a relatively fixed stud positioned to interact withsaid cam groove, a relatively fixed latch plate having a notch, and a handle connected with said fitting for the ad justment thereof and oscillatory to and from a position for engagement with sand notch. 7. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a worm ear of a manually rotatable shaft supporting said worm,

a bearing for said shaft mounted for oscillation upon a transverse axis, a fitting slidably connected with said shaftand provided with laterally extending arms and with a cam groove inclined with reference to said shaft, a stud operatively engaged in said cam groove, a relatively fixed locking plate, and ahandle supported foroscillation between said arms and positively connected with said fitting for the adjustment thereof axiallyof said shaft, said locking plate being notched to receive said handle, whereby to secure said fitting,*said shaft and said worm ifiadjustment about the axis of oscillation of said bearing.

8. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a worm gear, of a manually rotatable shaft supporting said worm, a bearing for said shaft mounted for oscillation upon a transverse axis,-a fitting slidably connectedwith said shaft and provided With laterally extending arms and with a cam groove inclined with reference to said shaft, a stud operatively engaged in said cam groove, a relatively fixed locking plate, and a handle supported for oscillation between said arms and positively connected with said fitting for the adjustment thereof axially of said shaft, said locking plate being notched to receive said handle, whereby to secure said fitting, saidshaft and said worm in adjustment about the axis of oscillation of said bearing, said locking plate being supportedby said stud.

THOMAS J. POWER. 

